Loading system



M. J. s'rlEvE 2,630,076

LOADING SYSTEM March 3, 1953 Filed Aug. 26, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 M. J. sTlEvE LOADING SYSTEM Mmh 3, 1953 2 SHEETS-Sl-IEET 2 Filed Aug. 26, 1948 INVENTOR. //czfw'e d, Ml/e Patented Mar. 3, 1953 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEFlcE LOADING SYSTEM Marvie J. Stieve, Hammond, Ind., assigner to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 26, 1948, Serial No. 46,199

12 Claims. (Cl. 104-126) This invention relates to a system for loading vehicles, such as freight cars, and more par-` ticularly to a novel method and means for re movably installing a rail type carrier within the vehicle to facilitate loading of heavy and cumbersome freight.

A general object of the invention is to devise a novel method and means for removably supporting a rail carrier within a vehicle to be loaded.

Another object of the invention is to support the carrier from the side walls of the vehicle to avoid encroachment on the floor space to be loaded.

A more specific object of the invention is to provide a plurality of adjustable supports by means of which the rail may be mounted in vehicles of various widths and heights.

A further object of the invention is to utilize a plurality of toggle joint supports clamped against the side walls and roof of the vehicle and removably supporting the rail.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention w'ill become apparent from a consideration of the following specica tion and the accompanying draw-ings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the novel system;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary end view of the structureshown in Figure 1, with the roof and one side wall of the vehicle illustrated in phantom lines;

Figures 3 and 4 are an end view and a side elevation respectively of the rail support block;

Figures 5 and 6 are an end view and a side elevation respectively, of the rail clamp plate; and

Figure 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the adjusting bolt associated with one of the toggle arms shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Describing the invention in detail and referring first to Figures 1 and 2, the novel system comprises two or more toggle joint supports. generally designated 2, each in the `form of a toggle with a pair of toggle links or arms 4 hinged as at 6 to a support plate 8 forming the knee of the toggle and carrying a rail clamp including a block I secured as by welding to the plate 8 and a clamp plate I2 removably secured as by one or more threaded bolts I4 to the block IB.

As best seen in Figures 3 and 4, the block Ill comprises a recess I6, a lug I8 and a threaded opening 28 for the beforementioned bolt I4. The plate I2, as shown in Figures 5 and 6, comprises an opening 22 for the bolt I4 and a lug 24 Y thereto as by welding, the plate being hingedy as above described, at 6 to the center plate 8.. The outer end of each arm 4 is provided with an adjustor device including a screw 34 sleeved within the tube 28 and a nut 3B threaded on the screw 34 and bearing against the outer end of the tube 28. The screw 34 is provided with means for rotating the same, preferably in the form of a hexagonal wrench engaging portion 38, and the outer end of the screw is provided with a ball 40 (Figure 7) received within a complementary socket 42 (Figure 2) of a block 44. The block 44 is preferably provided with a seating plate 4S having a roughened or corrugated surface 48 adapted to engage the side wall of an associated vehicle, such as a freight car. The block 44 is also provided with an adjustor leg, generally designated 50, including a rod or tube 52 secured as by welding to the block 44 and provided with a plurality of perforations 54 (Figure 2) for the reception of a pin 55. The rod 52 is slidably moimted within a tube 58 and is loosely iitted therein to accommodate slight angularity between the rod 52 and tube 58. The pin 56 is selectively receivable within the openings 54 to adjust the height of the leg 50.

In assembling the novel system, each toggle joint supports 2 is clamped in place by urging the plate 8 upwardly against the roof 51 (Figure 2) of the car or against a seat, such as a board (not shown), which may be placed between the roof 51 and the plate 8; and the nuts 36 are rotated to clamp each block 44 tightly against the related side wall 59 (Figure 2) of the car, the legs 50 having been preadjusted to the proper height. After the toggle joint supports 2 have been clamped in place, as above described, the rail 28 is then secured to the supports by means of the clamp plates I2 and a conventional mono-rail carrier 60 is then connected to the rails to travel therealong and carry the lading which is to be loaded into the car.

It may be noted that the legs 58 are useful in supporting the blocks: 44 at the proper height until the blocks are clamped against the side walls of the car by the nuts 36; however, if desired, the legs 50 may be eliminated inasmuch as the entire weight of the carrierand lading supported thereby is transmitted through the supports 2 to the side walls of the loaded vehicle.

Ordinarily, a complete system involves a unit, such as that illustrated in Figure l, at each side of a center door of a freight car; however, it will be understood that any desired number of these units may be utilized depending upon the space to be loaded.

I claim:

- 1. In an apparatus for loading a space having a downwardly facing top wal1 and spaced side walls; the combination of a plurality of supports.

, each having a center plate. a pair of arms hinged Y thereto, blocks carried by respective arms, screw means carried by. said arms for, clamping respective blocks against the related side walls and for thereby clamping said plate against said top wall, said arms diverging downwardly from said plate, legs connected to respective blocks for supporting the same while the blocks are being clamped against the related side walls, means for adjusting the height of said legs, and a, carrier device comprising a rail supported between center plates of respective supports, and carrier means movable along said rail.

2. In a device for loading a space havingatop, downwardly facing wall and a pair of side walls; the combination of a plurality of supports, each. including a pair of flexibly interconnected arms sloping downwardly and outwardly. from the center of said support and adapted to engage said side walls, each support having means for clamping its arms against the respective side walls and clamping its center against the top wall, and a carrier mechanism supported by said supports.

3. In Van apparatus for loading a space comprising spaced side abutments and a top abutment; the combination ofv a support including a pair of arms adapted to bear against .the side abutments, means pivotally interconnecting the arms, and adapted to bear against the top abutment, screw means for expanding at least one arm to clamp the support against all of said abutments, said arms diverging downwardly from the first-mentioned means, and a carrier device supported by said Supports beneath the top abutment.

4. In a device for loading a space having a downwardly facing top wall and having a pair of' spaced side walls; the combination of a plurality of supportseach including a center portion and a pair of pivotally interconnected arms divergingY downwardly from said center portion and adapted to bear against respective side walls, means for expanding at least one arm of each support to clamp its arms. against the side walls` and its center portion against the top wall of said space, and a carrier mechanism supported by said supports..

5. In an apparatus for loading a space having a downwardly facing top wall and Vspaced side walls; the combinationof a plurality of supports, r

each including a center plate engageable with the top wall, a pair of arms Vdiverging downwardly from the center plate and hinged thereto, a block having a connection to each arm at the lower extremity thereof and adapted to bear against the related side wall, screw means in said connection for adjustably moving the block away from the plate to clamp the lattery against said top wall, and a carrier device supported from the center plates of saidsupports.

6. A system, according to claim 5, wherein each block is provided with a depending leg adapted to support 4the same during assembly of the apparatus. Y

7. An apparatus of the, class described, comprising a downwardly facing abutment, a pair of-V spaced opposed abutments beneath the level of-v the mst-mentioned abutment, a support device having pivotally interconnected, downwardly diverging arms engageable at their remote ends with the spaced abutments, respectively, and havingmeans between the spaced abutments engageable with the. flrst.-mentioned abutment.. said device having vscrew means, forl expanding,

i abutments and Ithereby clamp said first-mentionedv means against the first-mentioned abutment, and' a carrier removably attached to said support device.

8. A method of mounting a carrier within a work space, said method comprising supporting a toggle in said space by clamping the knee of its, arms to, clamp the latter against the spacedI 75` said toggle against aY downwardly facing abutment. in said space while abutting the remote ends of the toggle links against spaced, substantially vertical abutments in said space bel-ow the level of said downwardly facing abutments, whereby the toggle is stably supported by all of said abutments, and then suspending said carrier from said toggle. Y

9. In a method of mounting a carrier mechanism within a space to be loaded, the steps of positioning a plurality of toggle joint supports in said space, then clamping the remote ends of the arms of the toggle joint supports against sidev abutments in the space and clamping the knees 0f the toggle joint supports against downwardly facing abutments in said space, and then suspending the carrier mechanism from said toggle joint supports. f

f 10. An apparatus offthe class described, comprising aV downwardly facing abutment and a pair of opposed abutments beneath the level thereof, a plurality of expansible support devices, each having pivotally interconnected, downwardly diverging arms and screw means for clamping said arms against the respective opposed abutrnents and having a portion between said opposed abutments clamped by said screw means against thedownwardly facing abutment,

and a carrier mechanismv removably connected to said devices for support thereby.

11. A device` of the class described comprising a top abutment facing downwardly and a pair ofl opposed side abutments facing toward each other beneath the level of said top abutment, a toggle comprising a knee and links diverging downwardly therefrom and having their remote ends engageable with respective side abutments, said Vknee being engageable with the top abutment,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of thisV patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,341,996 Plucienski, June 1, 1920 1,759,213 Webb May 20, 1930 1,760,793 Streitweiser May 27, 1930 1,838,772 Lawrence Dec. 29, 1931' 1,949,120 Flowers Feb. 27, 1934V 1,958,162 Diehl May 8, 1934 2,177,525 Henderson Oct. 2e, 1939 2,234,287 Slnyter Mar. 11, 1941 Staiger Mar. 9, 1948 

